The Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame revealed its Class of 2025 on Tuesday—following a series of meetings and board votes that narrowed down the 100-player ballot of nominees. A total of 33 individuals were selected to enter the hall this October, featuring some of the biggest ambassadors of football such as Kirby Smart and Cam Newton, in what will mark the fourth class of inductees since the inaugural group in 2022. Pro Football Hall of Famers that played high school football in Georgia earned automatic inductions when the GHSFHOF was launched and the recent induction of Glennville graduate Sterling Sharpe into Canton this year has made him the 10th automatic bid. Sharpe will now join the GHSFHOF with his brother Shannon—who earned the automatic bid in 2022—and will be in this prestigious category with Champ Bailey (Charlton County), Mel Blount (Lyons), Richard Dent (Murphy), Ray Guy (Thomson), Calvin Johnson (Sandy Creek), Fran Tarkenton (Athens), Rayfield Wright (Fairmont) and Jim Parker (Ballard-Hudson).There are 32 additional nominees that were voted into this year’s class and headlining this group are legends such as basketball great and former Howard quarterback Walt Frazier, and the previously mentioned Westlake graduate Cam Newton and UGA head football coach Kirby Smart, who led Bainbridge at the varsity level as one of the top prospects in the state. Former Georgia Tech and Atlanta Falcon star Keith Brooking of East Coweta was among the top vote getters and the first-ever father son duo was inducted into this year’s class with Grady High School alum Jack Rudolph and his son Coleman Rudolph—who later starred at Valdosta and Georgia Tech. The younger Rudolph’s teammate and quarterback at Valdosta—Stan Bounds—was also voted into this year’s class.Dunwoody’s Harris Barton and Chamblee’s Steve Wallace were voted in for their tremendous careers. As a result, the two DeKalb County products—who later became teammates and helped anchor the offensive line as tackles on three winning Super Bowl teams for the San Francisco 49ers will join the GHSFHOF together this year. Former Georgia Bulldogs that were voted into this year’s class includes Lindsay Scott and Freddie Gilbert in addition to Smart, Tom Nash, Jack “The Ripper” Roberts, Paul Gilbert, Knox Culpepper, Robert Edwards and Curt McGill. Georgia Tech will be represented by Brooking, both Rudolphs, Stumpy Thomason, Kim King, Reggie Wilkes and Josh Nesbitt—who all got voted into the hall this year.
2025 Induction Class
Listed in chronological order
E Tom Nash, Washington-Wilkes (1922)
FB Johnny “Stumpy” Thomason, Tech (1924)
RB Jack “The Ripper” Roberts, Albany (1927)
E Jack Rudolph, Grady (1954)
WR Frank Pitts, Archer (1958)
QB Kim King, Brown (1962)
QB Walt Frazier, Howard (1962)
QB Paul Gilbert, Athens (1965)
WR Danny Buggs, Avondale (1970)
QB Stan Bounds, Valdosta (1971)
DE Reggie Wilkes, Southwest Atlanta (1973)
LB Chip Banks, Laney (1977)
WR Lindsay Scott, Wayne County (1977)
WR Willie Gault, Griffin (1978)
DL Freddie Gilbert, Griffin (1979)
LB/RB Knox Culpepper, Lovett (1980)
L Harris Barton, Dunwoody (1981)
L Steve Wallace, Chamblee (1981)
WR Sterling Sharpe, Glennville (1982)
P Chris Gardocki, Redan (1987)
LB/DL Coleman Rudolph, Valdosta (1988)
RB Robert Toomer, Worth County (1991)
RB/DB Robert Edwards, Washington County (1992)
DB Kirby Smart, Bainbridge (1996)
L Curt McGill, Brookwood (1996)
QB Fabian Walker, Americus (1998)
DB Carlos Rogers, Butler (1999)
QB Josh Nesbitt, Greene County (2006)
QB Cam Newton, Westlake (2006)
DB/RB Greg Reid, Lowndes (2008)
RB Isaiah Crowell, Carver-Columbus (2010)